Disgrace To Our Clan
by NushiKasai
Summary: In Konoha, it was once tradition for the highest ranking clans of nobility to have black hair-anything else was an embarrassment. In spite of this, Sakura Haruno's family married her off to the influential Uchiha clan. She must now survive with a politically corrupt- and entirely black-haired- husband and clan who certainly aren't overjoyed with her degrading pink hair. SasuSaku
1. Chapter 1

_NOTICE: This is based off an awesome manga called Dawn of the Arcana. I obviously do not own the manga or Naruto. Please enjoy._

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_Their marriage was not one of love._

She stood before him; her kimono crumpled from where her hands had clutched the material within them from anxiety. Despite the fear she felt, her head was raised high in refusal to show weakness in the unfamiliar territory where flaws would be exaggerated and she could be crushed.

Before her stood her new husband. In any other circumstance, she would have blushed at his beautiful appearance.

But this was no ordinary circumstance, and the man she was now wedded to gave her no incentive to blush.

"The disgrace of an entire clan…" he muttered as he returned her proud stare, though within his eyes there was a level of confidence that she knew was unattainable to her. A small smirk pulled at his lips; a mixture of amusement and curiosity. "What ghastly hair you have."

Ah, her hair.

The most violent shade of pink that could ever be imagined fell in long tresses to rest gently above her hipbone. It would usually be exotic and desired by many. But in Konoha, where tradition dictates that all of noble, pure blood will have black hair, she was not wanted. In her arranged marriage to a nobleman of the esteemed family of Uchiha, her hair was their disgrace.

They would never have dared be seen in her presence if they had their way. But the marriage was out of convenience and was the best choice. Her new husband was the most disgraced by association with her, and he was not likely to forget it.

But she would not allow him to pierce her with his words, and so she refused to answer him.

He continued to survey her blankly as she offered no reply to his earlier insult. Upon finding that she would not bite, he turned his head to the side and chuckled softly in amusement. Her gaze narrowed in confusion, but she said nothing.

"How does it feel to be married to the next Head of the Uchiha clan?" Her husband asked with genuine curiosity, though her quick eyes observed that his words held quiet spite. Before she could answer, he stepped forward and picked up a long strand of her pink hair. He twirled it within his fingers almost absentmindedly for a moment, and her hand itched to slap him away. "Do you feel regret…for tarnishing our pure-blooded image?"

Pure-blooded. Ever since she had been born into her family that had bought their way into nobility and needed every chance they could get to maintain their status, she had been viewed as a disgrace.

She'd be lying if she said that this had not angered her.

"Images are deceiving," she calmly told her husband, who raised his eyebrow at hearing her voice directed at him for the first time. "To be pure is only a title. There is usually little substance behind it."

The fingers in her hair tightened suddenly, and a flash of irritation crossed her husband's face. He had excellent training in maintaining composure, she realised as he immediately wiped all expression away before replacing it with a small, amused smile.

There was a moment of silence.

He pulled viciously at her hair, and the suddenness of the moment caused a gasp of shock and sharp pain to exit her lips. She moved forward as he tugged the strand of pink and forced her to approach him. With ease, his fingers abandoned her hair and gripped her chin before dragging her head up to be inches from his.

Despite the violent nature of his actions, his face still held that small tilt of his lips in a mild smirk that covered his true thoughts.

"You insult my clan and you insult me," he softly told her, though she was able to clearly read the spite behind his words. His neck had to bow slightly to be on level with her, but his towering presence was more ominous than anything physical he possessed. "You know _nothing_ of purity. You do not deserve to be associated with this clan, woman."

The weapon came out of nowhere, but as always, she had expected it. Her husband, however, had not.

The shuriken rested at his throat, and his neck tilted upwards instinctively to perhaps evade it's sharp edges. His eyes followed up the arm of the wielder and met the steel, blank slate of expression that the woman's companion held.

"You do not deserve to be associated with her," the woman's companion replied to her husband's earlier words, though there was not a trace of anger within his voice. She had always admired that about him.

"That's enough, Sai," she gently placed a hand on that arm of her dear friend and a subtle command was issued. After a long second of deliberation, Sai released her husband from the grasp of his shuriken.

She had heard tales of the prowess of her new husband, and so she thought that he was merely humouring her- to see whether she would have the gall to order her guard to kill him- but she cared not for his games.

"You shouldn't hurt me," she advised as her friend stepped back beside her and stared emotionlessly at the other man. "Sai will not be kind in return."  
Her husband allowed a small chuckle to escape his lips and turned his gaze to her companion, and unabashedly smirked at the man who had held a shuriken to his throat merely moments ago.

"You love her?" He asked with a trace of conceitedness in his voice and an ill-disguised desire to sneer. "It's not good manners to love the wife of your new master."  
"I protect her," Sai replied quietly, narrowing his eyes. Then, a sudden, benign smile graced his lips and he exhumed a positive, kind nature despite his next words. "From scum like you."

In the following moments, she was sure that her husband would strike the companion. But nothing happened.

Instead, the man ran a hand through his jet black hair- the evidence of his nobility- and sighed in irritation.

"You're annoying, Sakura Haruno" he muttered before flicking his eyes up to watch his wife's reaction. She offered him none. Upon seeing that he would not be given any further entertainment from her, he turned around and began to stalk out of the room. Before he left, however, he called out one last time to her. "Wear a headcloth to dinner. Your hair is a disgrace."

He left the woman and her companion standing in the middle of the foreign clan's building, and returned to his chambers.

"His nickname will be 'Dick'," Sai helpfully told Sakura, who giggled softly at the stoic man she'd encountered having such an accurate nickname.

"Thank you, Sai," she replied tenderly, and smiled gratefully at him. "But…I think we won the first round against him."

"I'm glad," her companion nodded as his face returned to an emotionless state. "Though I do believe the rest of his family will be another matter. Shall we prepare for the confrontation with them?"

Sakura placed her arm in his as her dear friend led her from the hall to where her new home and chambers would lay.

And so, her marriage to Sasuke Uchiha had begun.

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Author's Notes:

This is sort of a test run; I'm trying to decide whether to continue this as a multi-chapter fic (where there will be much more detail and a sound, proper ending, or whether to lengthen the above into a one-shot.

What do you think?

Please drop a review- they fuel my passion for writing- and tell me what you'd want (longer one-shot or a multi chapter of following events).


	2. Chapter 2

_She felt the eyes on her._

They sat tall and proud on their traditional _tatami_ mats around the long table; the women sporting complicated and expensive _kimonos_ and hairpieces, whilst the men had their long hair bound and away from their face.

There was a sea of black hair, and she stood out like a sore thumb. For all around her, every man and woman- even the servants, it seemed- had hair of pure ebony, and for a moment she had to restrain herself from flinching.

Surrounding her, there was an appearance of absolute grandeur that she had to blink to fully register it. Everything; from the interior design to the clothes that they wore, the Uchiha clan was certainly extremely more wealthy than her family would ever be. Which, of course, was a contributing factor to her current position of unhappy marriage.

In fact, she felt quite shabby dressed in her simple, red _kimono_ that her mother had given to her as a wedding gift.

The conversation- which she doubted had been overly riveting- ceased the moment she entered, and the scrutinising glares directed towards her were scarcely concealed.

That would be due to the fact that her startlingly pink hair was on full display to them all.

Her straight locks were piled atop of her head in the traditional fashion and had a small,_ Sakura_-styled headpiece (a wedding gift from her father) embedded within the edge of the bun. It was her own little way of rebelling against her new husband- who Sai had so aptly nicknamed 'dick'- since he had basically ordered her to cover up her hair.

She wasn't his little toy to order about, and she was going to prove it to him.

Now, if only she didn't feel so intimidated by the glares and blatantly unabashed stares she was receiving.

"Pink…"

"How ugly…"

"The Haruno clan has some nerve…"

She felt a moment of weakness; where she honestly wanted to run back to her chambers and stay there for the rest of her life instead of having to face these horrible people.

The touch of a hand on her back stopped her from fleeing.

"Sakura-sama," the hand belonged to Sai, who gently but firmly pushed her forward. "Ignore them."

"I always do," she whispered softly in reply, before approaching the table and sitting where the servants gestured for her to go.

There was a long, pregnant pause, where Sakura resisted the temptation to snap at her new family for their rudeness. To do so, however, would be to condemn her old family to more misery than their struggle to nobility had brought them.

And despite the anger she felt at having been so obviously sold as a slab of meat would, she was unable to summon the willpower to hurt her former clan.

Therefore, for the sake of those she begrudgingly loved, she would bite her tongue and restrain herself from saying all the harsh retorts she longed to say.

The man at the head of the table, who Sakura immediately recognised to be the Head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku, cleared his throat suddenly once she was seated.

"Tonight, we welcome a new member to our clan," he spoke tersely, and his voice conveyed every inch of ill-concealed scorn that his family felt, but she was grateful that he was at least making an effort to be polite. "And whilst I would prefer to formally introduce you beside my son, we will have to make do despite his absence."

Sakura's eyes widened as she covertly scanned the room and realised that her new husband, was indeed, not present in the room.

"As you wish, Fugaku-sama," she replied formally but blankly, determined to show him that her inferior social standing did not say anything about her manners.

The imposing man nodded and stood, gesturing that she should do the same. Sai rushed to her side and took her arms to gently lift her to her feet with the heavy _kimono_ weighing her down. She strode over to where her new father-in-law waited and then he turned to address the carefully watching, and strictly quiet family.

As he opened his mouth to speak, however, a different voice filled the room.

"I apologise for my tardiness, father."

Sakura's eyes widened a fraction, and she suddenly felt much more nervous about the fact that her hair was on full display. As she turned around, she immediately saw her new husband swiftly striding towards her whilst the servants flustered beside him and bowed their greetings.

Her cool determination flickered momentarily as she saw the barely-concealed glare in his eyes, but she maintained her ground as she reiterated the fact that she was not a toy in her mind. Especially not _his _toy.

Sai hovered carefully off to her side; ready to intervene if the situation called for it, but Sakura cast him a quick warning glance before facing her husband with stubborn pride. He stopped as he came level with her and none-to-gently grasped her arm in his.

"You may now formally introduce us," he curtly addressed his father, who watched the exchange with mild interest. He had to understand how the future Head of the Uchiha clan would act towards his own wife, let alone the family.

"Glad to see that you could join us, Sasuke," Fugaku replied with a hint of dryness in his voice that made Sakura frown in surprise. She couldn't have guessed that this clan would have an inch of humour- or sarcasm- within their strict, tradition-based rules. The father turned to the rest of the family seated at the table and spread his arms out wide and gestured to his son and new daughter-in-law. "Today, Uchiha has gained a new child."

The woman composed her face into a stoic expression as the whispers began to be heard around the table.

"Filthy."

"She's not one of us."

"How dare she touch Sasuke?"

The father continued on, seemingly oblivious to what was happening in the room.

"Wed to the next Head of Clan, Sasuke, Haruno Sakura will be treated with the respect that one of her standing deserves," Fugaku said, though the pink-haired woman noted with an inward sneer that he neglected to mention _what_ level of respect she deserved. "And we shall welcome her as our own child."

_Liar,_ she thought with a silent hiss as the rest of the clan nodded in acquiescence to his words and Fugaku sat down. _He hates me as much as the rest of them and I bet that he can't wait to hire an assassin to-_

Her thoughts were abruptly cut off as there was a harsh tug on her arm, and she was forced to step forward. Breaking out of her reverie, the woman looked up to see her husband firmly leading her back over to the table- though not to where she had originally been seated.

"My seat's over"- she tried to reason with the man who was now her husband and raised her hand to point to where she had been placed earlier.

His face twitched as he concealed his scowl, but continued to pull her along with him.

"_Here," _Sasuke firmly told her, before placing both hands on her shoulders and pushing her down slightly. "Your seat is here."

The pressure of his force and the staring eyes around her made Sakura's knees relent and she fell to a kneel in her new position at the table. Beside her, Sasuke also sat down- though with much more grace that she, considering that he wasn't being practically manhandled.

Once they were officially seated, and everyone was present for the meal, the Head of the Uchiha clan made a gesture to the nearby servants. Immediately, a line of workers entered with a stiff demeanour and began to place food down at the table before everyone, whilst the others handed out utensils.

Delicacies that Sakura had never even heard of were suddenly served around her, and despite herself and her vow to not enjoy one moment of her marriage, she was unable to hate the fact that food like this would be a new part of her lifestyle. Already, there was a wafting stench that invaded her nostrils and she resisted the urge to grin happily at the prospect of her tasty future.

Her food was of a yellow colour, and it appeared as though many, thick strings had been cooked and served, but from the small recesses of her mind, Sakura knew what her dish was. She remembered a rare moment from her childhood where her family had not been constantly struggling with their finance and political appearance, and during that time, she had been able to experience this dish that was usually reserved for the upper class.

"Haven't you ever had _udon_ before?" Sasuke leaned over and asked as his utensils were expertly manoeuvred within his fingers.

Sakura blinked for a moment, confused that he was talking to her. Then her eyes narrowed, and she instinctively shuffled in the opposite direction away from him, hoping that he wouldn't notice her movements.

But he did.

He rolled his eyes at what he undoubtedly considered to be her childish behaviour, but she refused to approach him again. In her future, her goal was to spend as much time as far away as possible from him.

"We're married now; you're going to have to get used to being near me," he smoothly told her whilst he returned to his meal and resumed devouring the _udon _with ease. The chatter from the other members of the clan drowned out the conversation and ensured that they would not be overheard, though Sakura was still reluctant to fire up against her husband in such a public place.

But still...

"I'm a woman," the pink-haired girl replied tersely; her meal still untouched as she focused more on her words than her stomach. "If you don't want to see me, it's within your power to distance yourself from me."

Her husband nodded at this and made a small 'hn' sound to acknowledge that she'd spoken as he swallowed a mouthful of his dinner. As he finished, he set aside his utensils and turned to her once more, but this time there was a steeled, unreadable expression on his face.

"I can make your marriage with me unbearable," Sasuke softly told her, and the threat in his words was clear as day, though Sakura didn't understand what she had done to warrant it. "But it will still be a marriage. You will be by my side and you will bear my children-however impure they will be." At this thought, his nose crinkled, and the pink-haired woman was unable to hide her resulting scowl at his worriment over the loss of 'purity' of his bloodline.

"Never fear," despite her smaller height, the woman still managed to stare down at him with a look in her eyes that made it clear to him that he was a bug to her. "It's well-known within the village that your black-hair genes are dominant."

Most husbands would have struck her for her impertinent tone. Sakura certainly thought that hers would- judging from his earlier show of violently tugging her hair.

But Sasuke Uchiha merely chuckled softly in amusement as he turned his black, obsidian gaze away from her.

"The matter of purity aside, this is a respectable marriage," he replied with the slightest trace of a smirk on his lips. Then he became serious once more, and his words were uttered firmly. "And you are still my wife. You shall be treated as such."

The girl blinked once. Then twice. And then realised what the Uchiha had said.

He grunted softly as he resumed eating his meal; his stiff demeanour indicating that their conversation was finished, but his wife narrowed her eyes at him in refusal.

"If _insulting_ me is considered respectable," she scowled in a retort at him, recalling the day's earlier events, "then I pity all women in an _inferior_ marriage."

She watched her husband carefully, and his faint smirk graced his lips briefly once more before it vanished, and he completely ignored her. An outraged growl threatened to tear it's way out of her throat, but she whirled her upper body back around to face her untouched food with a huff instead- preferring that over making a scene.

Her eyes eagerly examined the _udon _before her that was now only gently steaming whereas it had been earlier obscured by a slightly translucent cloud of grey. She prepared her utensils and dipped them into her bowl to finally begin her dinner.

Then a pale hand slapped around her wrist and halted the _udon_ from entering her mouth.

Her eyes flew open as the table of well-trained nobles fell silent in shock.

Sai, who had stopped her, peeled her fingers away from her utensils and placed the _udon _into his own mouth. Everyone watched in shock, until the Head of the Uchiha Clan stood in anger at the blatant disregard of manners.

"You have _no right!_" He hissed in quiet fury at the appalling behaviour of Sakura's companion, who swallowed his mouthful with a loud gulp. "You shall be escorted from the estate immediately and"-

A low chuckle interrupted the man, who swiftly identified the sound to be coming from his own son and the husband of the woman just insulted. Sasuke trailed his eyes up to meet Sai, who stood imperiously above him, but the nobleman still managed to conjure an intimidating, proud air befitting of his status.

"He was just testing for poison," Sasuke informed the crowd, who's eyes widened even further. "Weren't you, little dog?"

Sai grunted noncommittally in reply, and all but ignored the man in favour of turning to his friend and bowing his head.

"Forgive me, Sakura-sama," he politely apologised at the woman was still shell-shocked at the fact that her protector deemed her environment hazardous enough to test for poison. "But your meal is clean."

There was a moment of silence, before the woman snapped out of her trance, and cleared her throat- knowing that she had to say something to excuse her friend otherwise he would face stricter punishment.

"Of course," she nodded her head in acceptance, as her friend stalked back over to his watchful position behind her. "Thank you, Sai."

It took a few minutes before the room returned to the mood it had been in moments before.

Sakura didn't really care about the chatter and whispers wandering around the room about her, she was in bliss as she consumed her bowl of _udon_- the treat that she'd been denied since her childhood. A very un-noble grin was permanently set upon her face as she enjoyed her meal and ignored everyone around her.

So wrapped up in her happiness, she didn't notice that her husband was watching her avidly with a bewildered frown set firmly upon his lips.

_This woman_, he thought to himself in confusion, _is certainly nothing like I expected._

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**I literally spent a full week and a day being constantly bombarded with SasuSaku spoilers for the new chapter, and I was really keen to read this latest chapter. NOTHING.**

**NOT ONE PEEP OF SASUSAKU.**

**KISHI...You troll.**

**...**

**I was shocked by all the support I received! I've put up other Naruto fanfiction before but never have I gotten such a reaction before! **

**The overall theme (majority rules) is that this story will be multi-chapter. Yeah. **

**Some people have been asking how much this will resemble the manga, Dawn of the Arcana. Firstly, there will be one or two more scenes that will resemble those from the manga, but after that things will just be quite different. **

**Obviously, there's aren't any Arcana or Ajin (people who've read the manga will understand what I mean) so I'm trying to keep it rather historical instead of supernatural. **

**Suggestions, feedback, criticism etc are welcome in a review, and reviews really do motivate me to write more :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Who own's Naruto?**

**...Not me. **

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The clan that had been dining soon departed the chamber. Sakura immediately noticed that the family tended to move around the estate in groups; usually the husband and wife stayed together, but the girl noticed the occasional child or bachelor sibling floating amongst the pack.

Seeing as Sakura had no desire to conform to that tradition, she began walking in a brisk pace away from the clan and towards her chambers- or where she thought her chambers would be. She still hadn't fully committed the place to memory.

Besides, she knew that Sai would follow. Unfortunately, she didn't quite count on her extra follower.

"Where are you going?"

A hand gripped harshly onto her wrist and jerked her to the side. She was forced to fall into step next to her husband, who was fixing a scowl on his face that was directed entirely at her. She mirrored his expression by instinct, but swiftly wiped it off in an attempt to remain emotionless and allow him to think that nothing would affect her.

"I'm going to my chambers," Sakura replied, trying to sound monotonous and plain, but the scorn shone through her tone. Seeing that there was no hiding her true thoughts, she muttered, "If that's alright with you, hey?"

His eyes narrowed near imperceptibly at her fiery attitude, but he said nothing for a moment. Behind them, the rest of the clan was strictly wandering off to their own chambers and not paying them much attention, so the pinkette was not fearful of defying her new husband.

"Tonight is our _wedding_ night," Sasuke slowly told her, though she already knew. She stiffened immediately and began to walk rather stiffly as the man continued. "I certainly hope I don't have to give you a lesson on what happens between newlyweds on their wedding night?"

A prickle of sweat suddenly ran down Sakura's spine at his implications, but she managed to contain any discomfort she felt in favour of scowling openly at his condescending tone.

"Of course I know," she retorted in irritation, though inside her chest, she was able to feel her heart pounding faster than usual in anxiety. She turned her head away from her husband as the heat rushed to her cheeks at the thoughts of doing _that…_with the man next to her. "We're not exactly the average newlyweds, though."

Her husband watched her carefully for a moment, as though trying to discern exactly what was going through her mind, before nodding in agreement with her statement.

"That's true," he admitted with an incline of his jaw and a frown tugging at his lips. His expression sobered and took on a very serious demeanour all of a sudden. "But that doesn't make our expectations as a married couple different to any other."

They passed a corner, and a flash of black crossed between Sakura's peripheral vision all of a sudden. A sense of calm swept over her as she recognised Sai as he stood nearly concealed between two buildings a few metres away from them.

A wave of confidence overtook her, as she knew that Sai would protect her from this man, this noble-raised husband of hers if the situation should arise.

"I won't be living up to any…_expectations_ with you if they involve sex," Sakura primly announced to the black-haired man, and she shook her pink hair proudly in an act of defiance, "and you'd best get used to it."

His ebony eyes flicked up to watch her, and all of the confidence that the pinkette had felt suddenly dissipated in an instant.

Instead of the fury that she had expected from him, the man merely was silent. That was more unnerving than fury.

His lip quirked up, and the pinkette watched as he smirked in amusement. A small chuckle reverberated through his chest and due to her close proximity, she was able to hear the sound.

"What…what are you laughing at?" Sakura asked, unsure all of a sudden, as the man continued to find entertainment from her earlier defiance.

He raised his dark eyes to meet hers, and within them there was amusement, but it was not well-intended. There was an edge of malice to the way he was chuckling, and despite his fury not being outward, the pinkette immediately knew that her husband was seething inwardly.

"I will easily be able to… 'get used' to not living up to sexual expectations with you, little Sakura," Sasuke replied to her with his amusement fading to a mere small smirk. "But I do wonder what my clan will begin to think when the wife of the next Head of Uchiha doesn't produce any heirs."

The woman stiffened. She hadn't thought of that.

Part of her marriage was that she would continue the Uchiha line. That, she understood and was fully prepared to disregard. But when it came down to the marriage itself…it was based on the fact that her family needed her to be in a high noble position in order for them to continue living a stable life. If her marriage was proved useless, it may be broken.

It was a rare procedure, but not unheard of. And if the wife of the next Head of the Clan was known to be deliberately with-holding her husband his right to heirs…it ticked all of the necessary boxes for the clan to get rid of her.

She hung her head in defeat, knowing that her family, despite their flaws, were her weak point. And in order to get what he wanted, Sasuke Uchiha had hit this particular nail right on the head.

The pinkette was silent for a moment, her thoughts whirring and comparing possible situations. There was no out of it, however, if she wanted to play her martyr role for her family's stability.

She would have to bow on this issue.

"I'll give you an heir," she announced solemnly, as though she were agreeing to her own death sentence. Then she raised her head as a spark of fury ignited within her and the determination to at least gain some sort of victory overtook her. "But not yet. Eventually."

The Uchiha deliberated for a moment, and his face became blank as he considered her words. Sakura knew very well that, even if she didn't consent, he would easily be able to force her, so it was merely childish for her to attempt with-holding anything from him, but her pride didn't allow her to be submissive and bow to him so quickly.

After a few seconds, her husband spoke.

"Very well," Sasuke replied, and the pinkette struggling to keep her jaw from dropping to the floor. If he wanted an heir so badly, he would be able to force her in an instant! Even Sai wouldn't be able to stop her husband eventually for political reasons, despite her earlier confidence in him doing so. The Uchiha really had nothing to lose.

So why was he…?

The frown must have shown on her face, for the Uchiha allowed the smirk to overtake his lips. There was no sign of amusement in this smirk; it was more akin to a sneer.

He stepped towards her, and her shock made her root her feet deep into their position and freeze up entirely. The man reached out a hand and picked up a strand of her hair in a situation that was rather like their more violent encounter just hours earlier.

"But you _will_ give me a child," Sasuke intoned in an order, his voice low and demanding; telling her that there was no exception. In any other case, she would have snapped at him in reply, but there was something about his demeanour that stopped her.

He closed his eyes and a self-satisfied smile crossed his lips as he leant towards her. His nose brushed against hers as he raised his eyelids and fixed his smug gaze at her; as though he knew exactly what he needed to do to break her down and make her malleable to his wishes.

He spoke, and his breath brushed against her skin as he whispered the words that she didn't particularly want to hear.

"_And for your family's sake…you'd best hope our child has black hair_."

He released the strand of her _very _pink hair and allowed one more proud chuckle to escape his lips before he stepped back away from her.

"Return to your own chambers…for now," Sasuke ordered, his business tone telling her that the conversation was over. "You will meet me at the main house tomorrow morning in preparation for the Hokage's court."

She didn't move. He'd known that she wouldn't.

"See you, little Sakura."

She was still frozen when Sai eventually took her away.

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**Sorry for the short length, but you guys were so awesome with the last chapter that I felt like I just HAD to get something out. I've been really busy with mid year exams over the past two weeks- cough cramming because I'm so unorganized cough- but now that that is over, I've got a bit of a dry spell! :)**

**So please continue to support this story and I'll be able to return to a proper schedule with updating! Next chapter, I promise will be longer as it's covering the Hokage's court! :)**

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! They really motivate me :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**If I owned Naruto, there would be many clones of Sakura distributed to various Naruto characters to satisfy my shipping heart. But I don't own it...unfortunately.**

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"Your hair is lovely, Sakura-sama."

Those were the words spoken to Sakura as the maids of the Uchiha estate began to pile her pink locks atop of her head. Yes, apparently she was deemed important enough to have her own personal set of maids- who, of course, were not the happiest to be assigned to the disgrace of the clan.

How generous.

Not that she was complaining. Yet. First she would see how well they actually did their job before she began to complain. Besides, the maids seemed somewhat intelligent; they should be able realise that their careers would be shattered if they ever sabotaged her life and reputation. Not because she was a disgrace, but because she was still the wife of the next Head of Clan.

That title seemed to grant her at least some power...whenever Sasuke wasn't around to spoil it.

"Ow!" She grimaced as a strand was pulled too sharply on her head, and her instinctive reaction was to whirl around and glare at the offending woman. The other maids were smart enough to release her head to allow her to face the careless one.

But then Sakura was shocked at what she saw.

The maid seemed to be absolutely horrified- not only at what she'd done, but what she was expecting in retaliation. It was as if she expected the pinkette to hit her.

Then again…Sakura had heard quite a few stories of the disciplining strategies of old-fashioned clans like the Uchiha. Perhaps she really did expect her assigned lady to hit her, or worse.

"Please forgive me, Sakura-sama," the maid begged, before dropping to her knees and bowing low as is respectful for the women of high class. "I didn't mean to hurt you; please punish me in whatever what you deem appropriate for my clumsiness."

Sakura had to watch in rapt fascination as the woman begged for what appeared to be her life. It was strange; she had never been in such a position of power, and she supposed that she didn't really understand the lifestyles of people who had lived with such luxuries since their birth.

"Calm down," she raised a hand in a gesture for peace, and then shrugged her shoulders slightly in the awkwardness of the situation. "I'm not going to hurt you…Just try to avoid doing it again, please."

There was a silence in the room; a terse silence and Sakura wondered if she had perhaps said something that she shouldn't have.

_Well done, Sakura, _she thought to herself in a drawl, _you've barely been here for a day and you've already spoiled the relationship with your maids. Say hello to messy hairstyles and smudged make-up for the rest of your life._

The maid, however, cautiously raised her head and her eyes were as wide as saucers as she gazed at her superior.

"You…aren't going to punish me?" She asked quietly, supressing a frown of confusion.

Sakura, who was beginning to understand that maids and servants were obviously used to a much harsher form of discipline, couldn't help but blink once more. In her house, they had a few hired maids, but never this many and they simply did their duties and left the house- she had rarely ever seen them at all.

"You didn't mean to," Sakura uncertainly looked around the room, and wondered briefly if perhaps the woman _had _meant to hurt her head. Maybe out of spite for being assigned to her…but the idea was banished from her mind when the maid seemed to melt in relief and bowed low once more.

"Thank you, Sakura-sama," the maid replied dutifully, dismissively bowing her head and then gestured to her fellow workers before returning to their duties.

Sakura blinked in confusion once more as the maids picked up strands of her hair and began to pile it atop her head once more.

Her life hadn't really consisted of so much luxury, so it was becoming quite apparent that there was a slight lifestyle change here. She would really have to get used to it, now that she was married into one of the strictest clans in Konoha.

A clan that _really _didn't want her there.

* * *

"You do remember the gate?" Sai asked his charge as they approached the main exit with a looming sense of trepidation.

The pinkette nodded her confirmation. Oh yes, she certainly remembered the main gate from the week or so earlier when she had first entered the Uchiha estate. She had thought that she would not be leaving for a long time- assuming that the clan would decide to confine her out their sheer embarrassment- so she was surprised, to say the least, that she would be out in the Konoha air so quickly.

"Sai?" She didn't look at her male companion; for it was rude to do so in public now that she was married, "How far away is the Hokage court?"

"Not too far, Sakura-sama," her friend replied, and the words gave her relief, as she wasn't keen for hour long bumpy ox-cart rides. "We are quite close to the Hokage's residence, so it will not be excruciatingly painful."

The girl nodded her thanks but restricted the movement of her neck; being exceptionally wary of the fashionably too-loose-for-comfort bun her hair was placed in. It would be an extreme disaster if she were to arrive at her first official public outing as the wife of the next Head of Clan with unkempt hair.

She and her companion crossed a bridge over a small, quaint pond, and the pinkette couldn't help but admire the beauty of the Uchiha estate's assets. The sun's rays were caught by the shining water, and was reflecting back up in the erratic blinking lights bouncing off the scales of the multiple _koi _fish swimming in the blue depths.

The architecture surrounding them had enough to boast about too; mahogany-coloured wooden floors were the balconies of each building, and stunningly designed, corner-uptilting rooves covered their heads. If there was anything that Sakura supposed that she could survive with ease in her new life, it was definitely her physical surroundings.

The pinkette couldn't contain a flinch as her heavy _kimono_ dragged her down slightly and burdened her in her travel. She wished so desperately that she could reach down and lift it up for ease, but that would absolutely obliterate her reputation if she was seen, and she had been raised with the proper noble etiquette enough to know that one does not readily reveal so much of their naked body to the public.

They reached the main building, where the girl's husband had ordered her to meet him the day earlier, and despite what her feet- so tired from dragging her heavy clothing around- desired, she knew better than to sit down and dirty her _kimino._

She shrugged and determinedly gazed out at the main courtyard as she waited for her public escort and husband to arrive. She was quite annoyed that she was no longer allowed to 'look' at her dear friend, Sai because it was inappropriate, but she knew better than to rebel so early in the fragile marriage.

"Don't worry, Sai,"Sakura whispered gently at her friend, who she knew would be listening intently to her words. "I'll smile at you again soon, I promise." He chuckled softly behind her, and her mood was lifted by the light exchange, but her annoyance at rules still remained. "We should have just told them that you were castrated or something…"

"Oh!"

The pinkette blinked in surprise at the very feminine gasp- definitely _not _Sai's, despite what she could be convinced of at times- and whirled to her side to see that she had company.

A…_very_ cute young woman was standing on the balcony outside the main building, as she had obviously just arrived herself. Her black hair was piled into a bun that was tighter than Sakura's, but still allowed her to have strands of hair gently falling onto her shoulders. Despite this, her hair wasn't actually quite long- which was becoming a more frequent occurrence in the evolving fashion era. She appeared to be about five years her senior, though her outward demeanour was more cute than mature.

"Hello!" The girl greeted her with a smile on her face that was one of the most genuine welcoming expressions that the pinkette had been treated to since arriving at the estate. "I'm Rin! You must be the new wife!"

Sakura tilted her head in confusion; obviously knowing what the coined title meant, but was quite surprised that in the strict estate of Uchiha, such laid-back terms would be applied to people. She would have thought that such matters would be treated more formally.

"Yes," Sakura replied with a polite bow at the waist- being very formal due to the fact that girl was probably her elder and therefore her superior.

Perhaps she shouldn't have done that.

Rin gasped in horror, and rushed over to her in the blink of eye. She grasped the pinkette's wrist and pulled her back up to a standing position, and furtively checked that nobody had seen the occurrence. Meanwhile, Sakura remained motionless; wondering what she had managed to get wrong _now._

"Please don't bow at me like that," Rin whispered to her in hushed tones, still nervous about what had nearly transpired. "I'm not your superior; I may be older, but I'm not powerful." She stepped back and released the girl's wrist with a gentle, sympathetic smile. "You're the wife of the next Head of Clan; you far outrank me."

Sakura, who had been processing this and recording it in her memory, nodded in understanding and then resisted the natural, instinctive urge to bow in thanks. That would cause more harm than good.

"If you don't mind me asking," Sakura gently began, a friendly smile on her lips, "what is your rank in the estate? Are you an Uchiha?"

Sakura had easily recognised that the other girl was not from a noble family, and yet she obviously wasn't a servant, so her curiosity was spiked.

"Not by blood," Rin replied with a shake of her head in answer to the question, "I'm promised to my Obito-kun."

_Obito-kun. _

She was marrying into the clan…so she was like Sakura. That gave her an immediate sense of ease; she wasn't going to be alone here. She may be the only person with pink hair, but nothing was unmanageable now that she knew that she wasn't the only commoner marrying into the clan.

"Who is Obito?" Sakura asked with interest, shifting her weight from one foot to the other from the increasing period of time standing up. "I've never heard of him."

Perhaps she shouldn't have asked.

Rin's mouth opened to an 'o' shape and two blushing spots appeared on her cheeks as she clasped her hands and gazed off into space. She was officially going into…a fangirl mode.

"Obito-kun is strong, and handsome and kind and wonderful," Rin gushed, and cupped her cheeks with her hands as though to cool them down, but it seemed that it was doing nothing to halt her metaphorical melting. "He's so romantic and gentle and…and he's marrying _me_!"

She looked over to Sakura with an expression that prompted for delighted shock, but Sakura, who was more amused than shocked, merely smiled tolerably and hummed a 'hmm" sound of agreement.  
Rin realised that she had been a little bit overdramatic and then grinned sheepishly; her neck seeming to sink into her soft lavender coloured _kimono _as her skin went red from embarrassment.

"Sorry about that," she apologised with a smile, and then she seemed to sober up as she straightened. "Obito-kun is not from the current Elder bloodline of the Uchiha, but he is in charge of a lot of things like our treasury!"

Sakura frowned at the explanation; some concepts from the new world of nobility were confusing her.

"What do you mean by 'the Elder bloodline?" She asked curiously, the phrase bewildering her.

Rin blinked to herself for a moment, and then seemed to realise that Sakura still didn't quite understand everything about the new world she had been thrown into.

"In the current court of the Hokage, Uchiha currently has one Elder representing us," Rin explained patiently, smiling gently in understanding. "While he represents us, all direct descendants of his bloodline are eligible to be the Head of Clan."

"But surely there are older men than Sasuke who would be the heir?" Sakura replied, the concept still strange and new to her. "Doesn't he have any siblings, uncles or cousins to take the position?"

Rin's expression darkened for a moment, and Sakura frowned at the sudden change in the mood. It went from light and cheery to slightly more gloomy and withdrawn.

"Sasuke's last remaining cousin was killed just recently," Rin quietly told her, and Sakura realised the topic must be somewhat of a taboo in the estate. "And as for Sasuke's older brother…well, you'll find out about him later today, I assume."

Sakura opened her mouth and was about to question the girl even further, but she was interrupted the sound of the screen doors sliding open behind them.

For some reason, the pinkette felt like a child caught red-handed doing something that she shouldn't have been doing, and she turned in shock to face the newcomer.

Sasuke Uchiha, who was quickly observing the facial expressions of the women before him, deduced that he _really _didn't want to know what was being discussed. He would bring it up with his wife later, he supposed; because she wouldn't be able to hide behind the presence of her little dog for much longer.

He knew that she wasn't even allowed to look at him anymore.

His ebony eyes swiftly scanned his wife's appearance up and down, before muttering a 'hn' sound of approval. He didn't even bother to acknowledge the other woman; he recognised her as the fiancé of some relative of his, but he wasn't the slightest bit interested in her.

Sensing that it wouldn't be wise for her to remain, Rin bowed low at both Sakura and Sasuke in polite self-dismissal.

"Please excuse me," she muttered, and a few stands of her black hair came loose as she hurriedly returned to her feet and began to walk away.

Sakura, who had only just met her, and was feeling quite happy at the possible prospect at an actual female friend, raised a polite hand and grinned at the girl's retreating back.

"It was nice meeting you, Rin-chan!" She called out to her with happiness, and was given a swift smile in return before the girl vanished into some building.

It was with a slight sense of trepidation that she then turned to her husband.

"Good morning," she greeted; feeling more confident than she had last night, and now was socially boosted by the fact that she managed to maintain an actual conversation with another member of the estate.

Sasuke blinked; his expression amusing for a moment before it was wiped clean. That was not the reaction he had expected from her- especially after his foreboding words the night before.

"Hn," he muttered in reply, before closing the door behind him and stepping down to where she stood on the courtyard ground. "For some."

The smile was still on Sakura's face as he began to lead her out of the main gate. She wasn't as alone as she'd thought; and that very notion gave her enough reason to be positive.

For now.

* * *

The Uchiha husband and his pink-haired wife sat inside an expensive carriage; the surroundings blocked by the screens set either side of them. They lounged upon embroidered cushions- wedding gifts from distant relatives of Uchiha, it seemed- but she was careful to not allow her _kimono _to crinkle lest it appear distasteful upon exit.

Only a small curtain to the front of the carriage gave her the slightest hint of light; in the bright day, rays of the sun peeked through the red material covering them from the outside world and lit up the interior of their vehicle.

Sakura sat furthest away from the curtain, because Sasuke would exit first and then escort her out, as was proper and traditional in marriage. All the rules and regulations of marriage made her scoff. _Woe is me; I cannot possibly exit a carriage on my own_, she drawled to herself whilst determinedly staring in the opposite direction of her company so that he wouldn't note her amusement and quiz her on it. _I am so helpless; I may mortally injure myself if I attempt to exit a carriage! Help me!_

She failed in reigning in her wry amusement, and had to slap a heavily sleeved wrist over her mouth as she let out a girly giggle at her thoughts.

Immediately, her husband turned his attention to her in question, and upon her innocent gaze, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Do tell me what you found so entertaining_," _Sasuke asked, his voice low with the suspicion that his wife found amusement with him. That would not be acceptable.

"Nothing here," Sakura replied lightly, shaking her head adamantly and blinking innocently up at him. "Just a joke that Sai told me earlier."

Her husband raised an eyebrow at the thought of the stoic bodyguard telling a joke, but then shook the image away firmly. It was a lie, he knew, but the mention of the man had somehow managed to irk him. Not the man himself, rather his interaction with a woman who now belonged to the Uchiha- and an Uchiha doesn't like to share his toys.

Leaning back, Sasuke made a small 'hn' sound and reclined against the wall of the carriage; soothed by the rocking motion and the hooves of the oxen clacking outside in front of him. It was a sound and scene that he had experienced many a time through his childhood; as a young child resting against the skirts of his mother's _kimono _as they rode into the town or trying to copy his stoic father's stance as Fugaku sat beside the wife he was responsible for.

Now Sasuke was a grown man responsible for a wife- however unwanted- of his own.

"Your dog is irritating," the Uchiha muttered to himself; soothed too much by the surroundings to maintain his level of self control. Sakura, who had not been expecting dialogue, blinked in surprise and turned her attention to her husband and his words. "I'm considering having him removed from your services."

"No!" Sakura replied swiftly in protest, leaning forward and suddenly not caring about whether she crinkled the skirt of her _kimono_. "Not Sai."

"Do not fear- I am a generous husband," Sasuke continued, placing a hand on his forehead and smoothing out his bangs as he spoke. "He'd be replaced."

The woman scoffed in indignation at his words; he spoke so easily about the dismissal of her one true friend inside the Uchiha estate. Without Sai, she would no longer have the connection to her family; to the life she knew prior to marrying into a noble line that wanted nothing to do with her.

"He'd be replaced by one of your spies," she softly told him, not allowing the scorn in her voice to show entirely. For if she angered him, she knew that he would punish her by doing exactly what she did not want him to. "He wouldn't be Sai."

The Uchiha turned his head to look at her with his piercing, ebony eyes, and the lessons of propriety that Sakura had been taught as a child were haunting her as she met the gaze of her partner without shame. _He is your husband, _the voices of her upper class tutors whispered in her mind, _you follow his command. Not your own. _

But Sakura had never liked her tutors.

"Sai is my friend," she stubbornly said, resisting the urge to petulantly cross her arms in defiance. No, she knew that if she wanted to win this match, she would have to be smart and mature. Elsewise, he would easily overcome her. "I would like to remain in his company."

For a moment, the man maintained eye contact with her, and as she continuously refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her bow her head, a small crease appeared in his forehead.

In his life, there had been many women that he had met; marriage prospects handed to him by his father or just simple inferior noblewomen. All of them had bowed their heads to him. They had acquiesced to everything that he had asked of them.

This woman…his _wife _was the exact opposite.

It was strange; when he'd first been told that he would be marrying a pink-haired woman from the inferior Haruno clan, he had been furious. For he was to be the next Head of Clan; he deserved a woman of purity and beneficial family ties- he needed to strengthen his own clan. In his mind, he presumed a timid, submissive wife that would not question anything he said would be the woman that he was to be wed to.

Imagine when this insolent, prim and frustratingly independent woman with _ghastly _pink hair had arrived at his estate.

He had still been reeling from the shock of it all as he had placed his hands in hers and they had been bound.

Now, in the carriage a scowl creased his lips and he broke his stare before turning his head to the side of the wall next to him. It was a much more aesthetically appealing visage than the wife that he knew would still be looking at him in defiance. Looking at him with those round little balls of emerald…no, perhaps emerald was not the right word to describe her.

With a sigh, he allowed himself one small glance at her to confirm his thoughts, and sure enough, she was still waiting for his answer to the situation with a glare on her face. It was rather insolent, Sasuke knew, but it would not look well for the wife of the Uchiha heir to arrive at her first public outing since marriage sporting a bruise of abuse.  
Perhaps his punishment could wait.

As he met her gaze once more with a cold, piercing stare, he watched as she began to frown in doubt. His actions confused her, Sasuke knew, and she wasn't used to him enough to judge what his intentions were. If he wanted to gain the upper hand in their relationship, he would need to do it early own; before she understood him.

There was a chuckle building in his stomach at the thought that despite the fact that she was alone with him, and that she was completely under his control and her life in his hands, she still was determined to stand against him defiantly.

She wouldn't fail horribly in his political world. At least, the disgrace she brought physically to the clan might not be supported by her behaviour. She might make an asset, in some way.

It was with that thought that he noticed the true shade of her eyes.

"Jade," he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear.

A frown fell over her face at his word, and then she shook her head as though to convince herself that she heard differently.

"Excuse me?"

The man narrowed his gaze and turned away from her once more- it was becoming a habit- and adamantly stared at the light that was shifting through the red curtain in front of them both. He scowled at the fact that his observation had been heard and probably noted; he was used to simply watching people without them particularly caring or noticing.

Now he'd have to explain, otherwise it would lead to questions later on about his mental health.

"Your eyes," Sasuke spoke up reluctantly said, pursing his lips at the fact that he needed to explain himself to _her_. "Jade. That's your eye colour."

For a moment, Sakura was too shocked to say anything.

She just sat there; her _kimono_ skirt probably crinkled from the minutes that she had spent focusing on unconscious comfort than appearance, and still wondered whether she had misheard her husband.

Or perhaps he was ill; she heard that there was an influenza passing through the village currently, so it was possible that he had contracted that.

For it was impossible that Sasuke Uchiha could have just compared her eye colour to an ornamental stone. A very pretty ornamental stone, according to her.

But…he did. And now, judging by the fact that he was avoiding her gaze entirely, he was feeling rather uncomfortable about his slip. As she looked at him, she noticed that there was an almost _red _shade to the top of his neck, and she wondered whether he was actually embarrassed.

She was gripped by a sudden urge to torment him over his mistake, as he had tormented her over the pink hair she had. But then, wouldn't that make her no better than he was? Who was she to judge him for what he considered to be a mistake?

Besides, it wasn't even a mistake; it was actually more akin to…a compliment. From him, at least.

"But jade is a much lighter colour than my eyes," Sakura's confused voice filled the interior of the carriage; her question- though sincere- intended to lighten up the atmosphere and clear the embarrassment. "My eyes are much darker than that."

He knew was she was doing, and he'd be lying if he said that it didn't surprise him.

She was a stubborn woman, that he'd understood from their first encounter, and he had expected her to laugh in his face at his almost sappy comparison of her eye colour to a stone. It would be her way of getting back at him- though he, of course, would retaliate later on.

Maybe that was why she wasn't calling him out on it; she feared punishment from him. He rationalised that in her station of nobility- if her clan could actually call it that- she had learnt to tread carefully around other nobles. Perhaps it was a safety method; don't provoke a snake unless it threatens you.

It made sense…but for some reason, it managed to irritate him.

"Tch," he scowled and tossed her a glare of annoyance, "You can be irritating, you know." The pinkette blinked in surprise; not expecting such a snarky response to her innocent question. "Didn't your family ever show you worked jadeite?"  
Her blank expression told him all the answer that he needed to know. He shouldn't have expected anything different really; he doubted her family had ever been in a strong enough financial position to purchase even the cheapest of green jade, so it wasn't a huge shock that his wife had never seen the green stone.

"White jade is from Iwa, and isn't the stone that I'm referring to," Sasuke explained as he leaned his head against the wall of the carriage in tiredness. He hadn't slept well last night, and the annoying questions of his wife weren't assisting in keeping awake. "Jadeite is translucent green, and is the colour of your eyes. We have a jadeite sculpture in the estate- I'll show you when we return."

The pink haired girl took in the information with eagerness, but was shocked when she heard her husband offer- or _tell _her_, _more like_- _that he would show her the stone he described when they returned to the estate. Why would he offer to spend more time in her presence than necessary?

"Okay, thank you," she replied softly, before turning away herself and settling into the bumpiness of the carriage ride.  
Many things were already confusing her in her new life, but Sasuke Uchiha himself tended to top her list.

* * *

**Thanks to everyone for reviewing and supporting this story! I really appreciate it and every bit of feedback really does serve to motivate me to write further! **

**For the people that have been asking about the world that this is set in, I imagine that it's a Heian Era styled world- look it up if you want to know more about it, but you'll get a better feel of the world throughout the chapters. **

**I was going to put Rin in the last chapter, but I decided against it; this was her moment. She'll be hanging around for a while, and Obito and even Itachi will make their respective appearances. Itachi will be in the next chapter at the court so you can look forward to that babe popping up. Also a few more familiar faces next chapter. **

**ATTENTION! **

**There is something deliberately...odd within this chapter. The first person to correctly guess what the odd thing was in a review will be given a REQUEST ONE-SHOT. Give me the basic plot, I'll write the one shot. THE FIRST CORRECT GUESS. **

**PLEASE REVIEW AND MOTIVATE ME! :)**


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